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Young refugees celebrate better health at East Jerusalem festival

09 May 2012

East Jerusalem, West Bank

A festival of health and nutrition took place today in the East Jerusalem refugee camp of Shu’fat. Part of an ambitious project by UNRWA to promote better nutrition among Palestine refugee school children, the event was dreamed up by the Agency’s local girls‘ school to celebrate one year since the transformation of their canteen with healthier food.

Yesterday’s festivities kicked off with a march from the local women’s centre around the camp’s streets, led by local scout groups. In the school playground, where the march ended, students organised artistic performances and a special exhibition for an audience of students, teachers, and members of the local community.

The healthy eating initiative is part of a project by UNRWA to combat food insecurity in impoverished communities, that will be expanded to include more schools in the coming years. It aims to promote nutrition among school children, and contribute to one of UNRWA’s human development goals: ensuring a long and healthy life for all Palestine refugees.

Background Information

UNRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. As a result, the UNRWA Programme Budget, which supports the delivery of core essential services, operates with a large shortfall. UNRWA encourages all Member States to work collectively to exert all possible efforts to fully fund the Agency’s Programme Budget. UNRWA emergency programmes and key projects, also operating with large shortfalls, are funded through separate funding portals.

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance.